Monday, January 16, 2012

The Food Truck Diaries, Volume 27: Animal Farm

Animal Farm is a new food truck that specializes in meals made with locally raised meat and vegetables. If you’re into big juicy burgers; banh mi sandwiches piled high with thick slabs of pork belly; and some of the tastiest deep-fried cheese curds on earth, you should check it out some time.

I found the truck parked in the parking lot of Fairwheel Bikes at 1110 E. Sixth St., where it will be serving lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., weekdays, until further notice. I came for a bite to eat and left with a very full stomach and a whole new notion of how good food-truck food can be.

What Animal Farm is doing hints at the vibe going on at places like Pasco Kitchen & Lounge, but the prices are lower and the food is just as good. For instance: The burger made with open-range, grass-fed beef and served on a bun from La Baguette Bakery is a mere $6.50, while a similar burger at other eateries runs for about $10. The tacos, jerk chicken and side-orders also boast top-notch ingredients, and prices top out at $6.75.

Which isn’t to bust on eateries that focus on local and sustainable ingredients, but it is to Animal Farm’s credit that prices remain low while quality remains high. Even the cheese curds are sourced locally — they come from the Arizona Cheese Company in Phoenix — before being coated in Panko crumbs and fried to perfection in the onboard deep-fat fryer.

The people running the truck are Gerard Kaina, Corinne Meinhausen and David Solorzano. They say the menu is written to reflect what is currently in season, and that they're considering adding breakfast hours. If that happens, expect homemade chrorizo and breakfast sausage in the coming months.

They debuted the truck at the last Tucson Food-Truck Round-Up, where they served about 200 people in about two hours. They’re currently considering a few downtown locations — Hotel Congress and the Rialto have both expressed interest — and will be working the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show next month.

The truck also caters special events. Its website is here and you can follow it on Facebook here.